A/N: Hey guys! So yes, I'm starting ANOTHER story. I know I really shouldn't…but this one's different! It'll be a series of one-shots, and I'll only update when I have writer's block (I am told this 100 Themes Challenge is good for that) or when I'm extremely inspired.

I want to thank Miss Fenway for telling me all about this challenge, and how it works. So, I'd like to dedicate this to her.

Please feel free to leave me ideas of what I should write. Anything goes.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.


Introduction

I stretch, ignoring the continuous crackling of my spine. Placing the magazine I had been reading on the table before me, I look at the clock on my kitchen wall. Though I am wearing my bifocals, I can barely read the hands on the clock. After squinting my eyes and craning my neck, I finally discover that it's a quarter till seven. A smile tugs on my lips, knowing that my favorite time of the day was quickly approaching.

Slowly I stand up, wincing at the pain that attacks my knees. Balancing my weight on the table, I lift my right leg and slowly extend it. Satisfied that the stretch helped my knee, I do the same with my left. Slightly hobbling, I walk over to my closet and take out my favorite jacket and put it on. With the zipper zipped all the way, I make my way back to the kitchen and retrieve my magazine before heading to the glass sliding doors that leads to my balcony. Before I slide the door open, I pause in front of the door, soaking in the reflection of my countenance.

The pure grey head of hair is perhaps the most unsettling change. Even though I began to notice wisps of grey in my forties, it still unnerves me to see no trace of my raven-hair present. I tried dying it at first, but it didn't look the same. After several attempts, I decided to accept that that part of my life was no longer with me.

After turning on the balcony lights, I slide the door open and sit down on one of the chair I had placed out here years ago. Once I find a comfortable position to sit in, I relax into the chair and peer at the scene before me.

Most people don't like living in the city, saying that the hustle and bustle is too noisy for them. Personally, I've always liked listening to the comings and goings of the city, for it reminds me that the world is still alive and continues to live…that I am still a part of it. Sometimes, when you become a hermit like me, you can forget that time still exists.

In my older years, I have come to appreciate watching the world from my balcony. Lovers walking by as they held hands, groups of friends laughing and talking as they passed…it reminds me of myself when I was their age. Though I know I can never reclaim what I once possessed, I often find myself thinking about my younger years. Some people get depressed when they reflect on their glory days, but I find it soothing because it's all I have now.

I rub the gold wedding band around my finger gently as a fond smile finds its way upon my face. Yes, I had a fruitful life filled with much accomplishment and happiness. But, as I have come to discover, there's a dear price to pay once a person grows old. The more one gains in life, the more one loses. And while I had lots of love and success in my youth, I am now left with a void of loneliness and sameness. I suppose it has to do with the circle of life, mortality. Everyone must go through what I have in some way, shape, or form. And in a way, it comforts me to know that.

My eyes flicker to the sky, widening in surprise. The sunset this evening is more spectacular than usual. The oranges and reds that I am used to witnessing seem brighter, more vibrant tonight. The buildings around my apartment complex begin to darken until they finally become black against the setting sun. I watch, transfixed as the sun continues to inch closer and closer to the horizon, until it disappears completely. I sigh, content that I have lived to see another sunset.

I open my magazine and find where I have left off. I start to read, but find myself distracted. Trying to banish my thoughts, I concentrate on my magazine, determined. But it's no use...not even an article about the latest advances in medicine could keep my interest tonight. The steady sound of cars passing by is soothing, causing my mind to drift, and before long, I unintentionally conjure memories from the past.


A/N: Well, there's the first chapter! Only ninety-nine more to go! What did you think? Please let me know and please leave me ideas! Thank you so much!